IGTV was an innovative launch from Instagram, which now supports vertical long-form and full-screen videos of 15 seconds to 10 minutes. This was a great advantage over the classic Instagram videos, which were limited to only 1 minute or less. IGTV also supports videos of up to 60 minutes, but this is currently available only for larger accounts. IGTV is a standalone app that is available for both IOS and Android devices.
The users can watch IGTV within their Instagram apps like the traditional televisions and YouTube channels which we watch. IGTV also features some channels as the profiles of video creators. It is your channel where people can watch the videos you have posted on this platform. IGTV has also opened a brand-new avenue for business marketers to enhance their Instagram strategies. Let us explore it in more detail as below.
Why do businesses need to leverage IGTV?
- IGTV can boost your visibility
Instagram has been established as one of the most effective and popular social media platforms over time. For business marketers, too, it is the favorite platform to reach more and more potential customers and buyers. By supporting long-form content, IGTV offers a better opportunity to marketers to generate more user traffic and boost the visibility of their products and services. Some researchers have also shown that the online viewership of IGTV is steadily increasing over time, which is projected to be about 400 million by the end of 2021. This means that IGTV may go a long way to help businesses to extend their video marketing strategies.
- IGTV as a channel to educate and entertain the audience
Studies have also shown that demonstration and tutorial videos are the most popular types of content on IGTV. Marketers can easily relate it with the support of IGTV’s long-form content.This platform will also let you market your products better by creating catchy videos showcasing how to use your products, how this may be useful in their daily, and how these products are made to create a difference with user needs. You can also post explainer videos to introduce your new products and feature your new launches, along with sharing stories of your brand.
IGTV offers more opportunities to build a community around your brand
For many years, videos of shorter length of about two minutes had considered as ideal length. However, the trends have changed recently, and people have an increased interest now in long-form videos.The videos which are more than a minute may provide you more opportunities for building connections and relationship with your community. IGTValso grants more flexibility to create long-form content that addresses your audience’s challenges, needs, and interests in a better way.
How to use IGTV for business?
IGTV now comes as a free app, which anyone can download and start creating their channels. You can use your existing Instagram personal or business account as your IGTV channel. The videos posted on your Instagram feed may not automatically get migrated to the IGTV channel, so you need to upload or repurpose the videos that are already on Instagram to be published on the IGTV channel too. It is very easy and intuitive to upload videos on IGTV. You can also use IGTV as a source to get more free Instagram likes.
You have different options to use the IGTVas a standalone app to upload; or you can also use an Instagram app or website. Make sure that you check the specifications of IGTV videos before uploading them. The primary requirements are like:
- Your videos must be vertical and not landscape.
- It should maintain an aspect ratio of 9: 16.
- All the videos on IGTV should optimized for effective mobile viewing.
- You may also add a simple title and description for your video.
- Make sure that use relevant keywords and effective hashtags to improve the visibility of your IGTV videos.
- If needed, you may also add a link to your landing page.
- You also have the option to share your IGTV video on your Facebook page too.
Creating content for IGTV
As with maintaining a YouTube channel or any other video content platforms, you need to have a proper strategy for IGTV content.Make sure that you maintain a calendar to post videos on your IGTV. As discussed above, you can make videos for various purposes, from educational videos to content ads or any other format. Ensure that you give enough effort and consideration to make good quality videos that have a message to share. Your followers should also be able to get some actionable insights from your IGTV content and be able to engage effectively with you by going through your videos.It is also advisable to support a video content developer support to get compelling and rewarding IGTV video content.
As you can see, IGTVcompiles both the power of Instagram and YouTube onto a single platform. This will allow the generation of new businesses to tap the opportunities for promotion and growth. Instagram is a booming platform, which shows no signs of slowing down in the near future. So, the early adopters of IGTV now will be able to gain considerable traction over your competitors as many of the new features are still in the infancy stage. Try to explore it right away if you are not already on IGTV and start to make use of its features for better reach and returns.
To start with, you can download IGTV and start using it as a normal user. By going through the content of your competitors and other related businesses, you will gain a first-hand understanding of how content can be curated for IGTV. You may also use the analytical tools to identify the performance of different types of content on IGTV. You may also spend some time creating compelling videos for the IGTV channel and posting them at frequent intervals to keep your audience engaged and entertained.